Upper body garment

ABSTRACT

An upper body garment is provided. The upper body garment includes an outer garment of a type normally formed as a separate garment for wearing over at least an upper torso of a wearer. An inner garment is circumferentially and permanently joined to an underside of the outer garment at a position corresponding to above a waist line of the wearer when the upper body garment is worn. The inner garment comprising a lower front panel and a lower rear panel. The lower front panel detachably fastens by fastening means to the lower rear panel at a position corresponding to a crotch of the wearer when the upper body garment is worn.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to garments and in particular to upper body garments.

BACKGROUND

Currently, upper body garments for infants are typically either regular style shirts or body suits. Regular style shirts are essentially smaller versions of adult shirts. Regular style shirts for infants are designed to be worn untucked, that is, with the bottom portion of the shirt hanging over the pants, in order to achieve a “grown up” appearance. However, these shirts frequently ride up, for example when the infant plays or is picked up by a caregiver, exposing the infant's skin and causing discomfort to the infant. Regular style shirts for infants thus require constant readjustment to maintain the desired “grown up” appearance.

Body suits for infants, also known as onesies, are one-piece garments that cover the full torso. Infant body suits have front and back panels that are fastenable at the crotch of the infant. Unfastening the front and back panels allows the body suit to be worn and removed and also provides the caregiver with quick access for diaper changes. While convenient, infant body suits must be worn tucked inside the pants and therefore cannot achieve the desired “grown up” appearance.

It is desirable to provide an upper body garment that can be tucked to prevent riding up while at the same time achieving the “grown up” appearance of an untucked shirt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention provides an upper body garment that includes an outer garment of a type normally formed as a separate garment for wearing over at least an upper torso of a wearer. An inner garment is circumferentially and permanently joined to an underside of the outer garment at a position corresponding to above a waist line of the wearer when the upper body garment is worn. The inner garment comprising a lower front panel and a lower rear panel. The lower front panel detachably fastens by fastening means to the lower rear panel at a position corresponding to a crotch of the wearer when the upper body garment is worn.

Another aspect of the invention provides an upper body garment that includes a shirt and a bottom section of a body suit circumferentially and permanently joined to the underside of the shirt at a position corresponding to above and proximal to a waist line of the wearer when the upper body garment is worn. The bottom section of the body suit has a lower front panel and a lower rear panel. The lower front panel detachably fastens by fastening means to the lower rear panel at a position corresponding to a crotch of the wearer when the upper body garment is worn.

Further applications of the invention and features of specific embodiments of the invention are described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In drawings which depict non-limiting embodiments of the invention:

FIG. 1 shows a garment according to one embodiment of the present invention with the inner garment fastened;

FIG. 2 shows a garment according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the inner garment unfastened;

FIG. 3 shows a garment according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the inner garment fastened and indicating the position of the pants;

FIG. 4 shows a garment according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 shows a garment according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced without these particulars. In other instances, well known elements have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention.

Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.

The invention relates to upper body garments comprising a regular style shirt with at least a bottom portion of a body suit permanently joined to the underside of the shirt slightly above the waist line (and above the pant line).

FIGS. 1 to 3 show one embodiment of the present invention. Upper body garment 10 includes an outer garment 12 and inner garment 14. Outer garment 12 is a regular style shirt for infants. The term “shirt” as used in this specification includes t-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, sleeveless shirts, sweatshirts, button-down shirts, golf shirts, sweaters, and the like. In other embodiments, outer garment 12 is not restricted to shirts and may include any separate garment for wearing over an upper torso of a wearer.

Inner garment 14 is a bottom section of an infant body suit. In the illustrated embodiment, inner garment 14 is a bottom section of an infant body suit that does not cover the legs. In other embodiments, inner garment 14 may be a bottom section of an infant body suit that partially or wholly covers the legs. In yet other embodiments, inner garment 14 may be a full infant body suit that may have no sleeves, short sleeves (see the embodiment shown in FIG. 5) or long sleeves (see the embodiment shown in FIG. 6).

Inner garment 14 has a lower front panel 16. Lower panel 16 releasably fastens to lower rear panel 18 by fastening means 20 at a position corresponding to the crotch of the infant. Fastening means 20 may be snap fasteners (as in the illustrated embodiments), buttons, hook and loop fasteners, zippers, and the like. FIG. 1 shows upper body garment 10 with inner garment 14 fastened, and FIG. 2 shows upper body garment 10 with inner garment 14 unfastened.

Inner garment 14 is permanently joined along a circumference of an underside of outer garment 12 at a position 22 slightly above the waist line (and above the pant line) to allow outer garment 12 to hang over pants P to achieve an untucked appearance as shown in FIG. 3. Unlike one-piece ensembles consisting of a shirt joined to pants at the waist line, upper body garment 10, being separate from pants P provides the advantages of being able to mix and match different pants P with different upper body garments 10, as well as being able to continue to wear one component (e.g. upper garment 10) if only the other component (e.g. pants P) requires washing.

Inner garment 14 may be joined to outer garment 12 by any suitable means such as sewing, using an adhesive, and the like that ensures sufficient strength to withstand normal wear and tear. Inner garment 14 and outer garment 12 are joined by sewing at least one circumferential seam 24. Circumferential seam is preferably a continuous seam, but may be a discontinuous seam in some embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, an additional circumferential seam 24′ is provided to strengthen the connection of inner garment 14 to outer garment 12. A strip of reinforcement fabric (not shown) may be provided along seams 24 and 24′ for additional strength.

In operation, upper body garment 10 is worn by unfastening fastening means 20 and pulling inner garment 14 and outer garment 12 over the infant's head. Lower front panel 16 is then fastened to lower rear panel 18 by fastening means 20. Separate pants P are worn, and the lower part of outer garment 12 is hung over pants P to achieve the untucked “grown up” appearance. Outer garment 12 is maintained in position and prevented from riding up by virtue of inner garment 14 being fastened under the crotch of the infant.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show further alternative embodiments of the present invention. Features 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, 222, 224 and 224′ of upper body garment 200 and features 312, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 324 and 324′ of upper body garment 300 respectively correspond in function to features 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, and 24′ of upper body garment 10 described above.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. For example, the scope of the present invention includes upper body garments worn not only by infants, but also suitably larger versions of the upper body garments described herein by children, adults and seniors.

Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims. 

1. An upper body garment comprising: an outer garment comprising an underside, the outer garment of a type normally formed as a separate garment for wearing over an upper torso of a wearer; an inner garment circumferentially and permanently joined to the underside of the outer garment at a position corresponding to above a waist line of the wearer when the upper body garment is worn, the inner garment comprising a lower front panel and a lower rear panel, the lower front panel detachably fastenable by fastening means to the lower rear panel at a position corresponding to a crotch of the wearer when the upper body garment is worn, whereby the outer garment is wearable in an untucked manner.
 2. An upper body garment according to claim 1 wherein the position corresponding to above the waist line is proximal to the waist line.
 3. An upper body garment according to claim 2 wherein the inner garment is joined to the underside of the outer garment at one or more seams at the position corresponding to above the waist line.
 4. An upper body garment according to claim 3 wherein the one or more seams are continuous.
 5. An upper body garment according to claim 3 wherein the one or more seams are discontinuous.
 6. An upper body garment according to claim 3 wherein the inner garment is joined to the underside of the outer garment by sewing.
 7. An upper body garment according to claim 3 wherein the inner garment is joined to the underside of the outer garment by an adhesive.
 8. An upper body garment according to claim 3 wherein the inner garment comprises a bottom section of a bodysuit.
 9. An upper body garment according to claim 3 wherein the inner garment comprises a bodysuit.
 10. An upper body garment according to claim 8 wherein the outer garment comprises a shirt.
 11. An upper body garment according to claim 10 comprising a reinforcing layer of fabric between the outer garment and the inner garment at the one or more seams.
 12. An upper body garment according to claim 11 wherein the fastening means is selected from the group consisting of snap fasteners, buttons, hook and loop fasteners and zippers.
 13. An upper body garment according to claim 11 wherein the fastening means comprises snap fasteners.
 14. An upper body garment comprising: a shirt comprising an underside; a bottom section of a body suit circumferentially and permanently joined to the underside of the shirt at a position corresponding to above and proximal to a waist line of the wearer when the upper body garment is worn, the bottom section of the body suit comprising a lower front panel and a lower rear panel, the lower front panel detachably fastenable by fastening means to the lower rear panel at a position corresponding to a crotch of the wearer when the upper body garment is worn, whereby the shirt is wearable in an untucked manner.
 15. An upper body garment according to claim 14 wherein the bottom section of the body suit is joined to the underside of the shirt at one or more seams at the position corresponding to above and proximal to the waist line.
 16. An upper body garment according to claim 15 wherein the one or more seams are continuous.
 17. An upper body garment according to claim 15 wherein the one or more seams are discontinuous.
 18. An upper body garment according to claim 15 wherein the bottom section of the body suit is joined to the underside of the shirt by sewing.
 19. An upper body garment according to claim 15 wherein the bottom section of the body suit is joined to the underside of the shirt by an adhesive.
 20. An upper body garment according to claim 15 comprising a reinforcing layer of fabric between the shirt and the bottom section of the body suit at the one or more seams.
 21. An upper body garment according to claim 20 wherein the fastening means is selected from the group consisting of snap fasteners, buttons, hook and loop fasteners and zippers.
 22. An upper body garment according to claim 20 wherein the fastening means comprises snap fasteners. 